Hosea 11:7 kjv
And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him.
Hosea 11:7 nkjv
My people are bent on backsliding from Me. Though they call to the Most High, None at all exalt Him.
Hosea 11:7 niv
My people are determined to turn from me. Even though they call me God Most High, I will by no means exalt them.
Hosea 11:7 esv
My people are bent on turning away from me, and though they call out to the Most High, he shall not raise them up at all.
Hosea 11:7 nlt
For my people are determined to desert me.
They call me the Most High,
but they don't truly honor me.
Hosea 11 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Hosea 11:7 | My people are bent on turning away from me... | Hosea 11:7 |
| Isaiah 6:10 | "Make the heart of this people dull, and of their ears heavy, and of their eyes blind..." | Isaiah 6:10 (Fulfillment in Israel's blindness) |
| John 12:40 | "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart..." | John 12:40 (Quoting Isa 6:10) |
| Romans 11:8 | "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see, and ears that would not hear..." | Romans 11:8 (Quoting Deut 29:4, Isa 29:10) |
| Jeremiah 3:7 | "I said, ‘After she has done all these things, turn back to me.’..." | Jeremiah 3:7 (God's continued invitation) |
| Jeremiah 3:14 | "Return, O faithless Israel, declares the LORD..." | Jeremiah 3:14 (Call to return) |
| Ezekiel 20:34 | "I will bring you out from the peoples..." | Ezekiel 20:34 (Future restoration) |
| Ezekiel 36:24 | "I will take you from the nations..." | Ezekiel 36:24 (Gathering from exile) |
| Zechariah 10:9 | "I will scatter them among the peoples..." | Zechariah 10:9 (Consequence of sin) |
| Hosea 2:14 | "Therefore, behold, I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness..." | Hosea 2:14 (God's drawing back) |
| Hosea 3:5 | "Afterward the children of Israel shall return..." | Hosea 3:5 (Prophecy of return) |
| Hosea 14:1 | "Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God..." | Hosea 14:1 (Final plea) |
| Psalm 81:13 | "Oh, that my people would listen to me..." | Psalm 81:13 (Desire for obedience) |
| Psalm 119:176 | "I have gone astray like a lost sheep..." | Psalm 119:176 (Confession of straying) |
| Acts 2:39 | "For the promise is for you and for your children..." | Acts 2:39 (Promise of salvation extended) |
| Hebrews 8:10 | "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel..." | Hebrews 8:10 (New Covenant fulfillment) |
| Hebrews 12:25 | "See that you do not refuse him who is speaking..." | Hebrews 12:25 (Warning against rejection) |
| 1 Corinthians 10:13 | "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man..." | 1 Corinthians 10:13 (God's faithfulness in temptation) |
| Genesis 49:24 | "his bow remained strong..." | Genesis 49:24 (Messianic promise) |
| 2 Peter 3:9 | "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise..." | 2 Peter 3:9 (God's patience) |
| Romans 7:18 | "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh." | Romans 7:18 (Sinful nature) |
| Psalm 78:39 | "He remembered that they were but flesh..." | Psalm 78:39 (God’s remembrance of human frailty) |
Hosea 11 verses
Hosea 11 7 Meaning
The people of Israel persist in rebellion, though their shepherds, the kings and leaders, have strayed from God. Despite their constant apostasy, God, in His mercy, remembers His covenant and will not utterly forsake them. He looks upon them with compassion and will bring them back to their land.
Hosea 11 7 Context
Hosea 11:7 occurs within the broader context of Hosea’s prophetic ministry, which focused on the unfaithfulness of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (also referred to as Ephraim) and God's persistent love and impending judgment. The chapter highlights Israel's repeated apostasy, likening it to a calf that has strayed. Despite their continuous turning away from Him, God declares His unwillingness to give them up completely, referencing His covenantal love. The verses preceding 7 describe the intensity of their rebellion and how their "shepherds" (leaders and kings) have corrupted the path. This verse therefore serves as a pivot, explaining the deep-seated nature of their sin while immediately following it with God's overriding compassion.
Hosea 11 7 Word analysis
וּלְעָמִי (ul'ami): "And to My people." Emphasizes that the following statement is directed towards God's covenant people, despite their current waywardness.
מִסֻּבָּה (misubbah): "from me." Highlights the direction of their turning – away from the Lord. The preposition 'min' (מִ) signifies separation or source.
תְּשׁוּבָה (teshubbah): "a turning back," "return." Refers to repentance and going back to God. Here, it's used in the sense of a lack of desire or inclination for it.
עָלָה ('alah): "it is on high." This phrasing suggests a persistent upward trend or constant state of inclination.
קוֹצוֹ (qotzo): "his setting," "his obstinacy," "his thorn." This noun derives from the root meaning "to prick" or "to ensnare." It conveys the idea of something fixed, determined, or causing pain and vexation. It strongly implies a stubborn and unyielding disposition.
אֶל־ ('el): "unto," "toward." Indicates the direction of their intention or turning, which is not towards God.
הֵרִים (herim): "he lifts." This verb (Hiphil causative of רוּם) implies raising up or setting something in place.
אוֹתוֹ (oto): "it" (masculine pronoun), referring back to Israel or perhaps their wayward disposition.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "bent on turning away from me": This phrase vividly captures Israel's deep-seated resistance to God. It's not a casual or occasional straying, but a fixed inclination ("his setting") away from Him. The idea of a "thorn" (קוֹצוֹ) can imply that their stubbornness is a source of pain to God, and their rebellion itself becomes a fixed obstacle in their relationship with Him.
- "though they are called upward": This is an implicit contrast. While the people are bent on going downward in their sin, God, by calling them to Himself, seeks to draw them upward. Their turning is contrary to His calling.
Hosea 11 7 Bonus section
The "shepherds" of Israel (mentioned in the previous verse, 11:6) are complicit in this turning away. Their corrupted leadership leads the people deeper into apostasy. God's response here is not one of abandonment but of compassionate remembering, a theme frequently seen in His dealings with Israel. This persistent love, even in the face of utter dereliction, underscores the unique covenant relationship He established. The "bent on turning away" points to the problem of free will and the tendency of the human heart towards sin when not continually surrendered to God. This concept is echoed in the New Testament with warnings against hardening one's heart.
Hosea 11 7 Commentary
This verse powerfully portrays the intractable sinfulness of Israel, a people called by God's name yet habitually straying. Their tendency is not just to wander, but to be set in their rebellion. The Hebrew word for their disposition, derived from "thorn" or "prick," suggests a stubbornness that actively resists God's movement and intention. They are fundamentally oriented away from Him. This describes a deeply ingrained rebellion that affects their very being and their spiritual direction.